Detachable wheel assembly for wheeled cases

ABSTRACT

This invention is directed toward a wheel assembly that can easily be attached and detached from a case such that the case can be wheeled when needed, but have the wheels removed for storage or transportation in a vehicle or plane. The wheel assembly comes in three parts—an axel, two wheels, and two wheel mounts—so it is simple to assembly, and because it has no moving parts, it is solid and durable.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority back to US Utility Patent No.16,280,227 filed Feb. 20, 2019, entitled “Detachable wheel assembly forwheeled cases”, the contents of which are incorporate herein byreference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

This invention was not federally sponsored.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the invention: This invention relates to the general field ofdetachable wheels that can be temporarily attached to and removed fromwheeled cases depending on whether the user wants to wheel them or packthem for transport or storage. The example used in this provisionalpatent application is the SKB 3 i Series of cases, and morespecifically, to more specifically to a detachable, large diameter wheelassembly that can be attached and detached from a SKB 3 i Series case,but the general technology could be applied to any wheeled case where itwould be advantageous to easily attach and detach a larger wheelassembly from the case.

The case being used for illustration here is a standard case fortransportation a quadcopter or drone. The case has a hollowed-out base,usually with cushioning foam cut out in the shape of a particular brandand model of drone, and a lid that rotates down on the top of the basethrough hinges, then locks with a latch. The case has two sets of smallwheels at the back bottom of the case which work very well on smooth,flat surfaces, but not so well over the rough terrain a drone pilotoften has to traverse to reach a location for his or her flight. Thecase also has two cavities, called end foot sleeves.

The wheel assembly is basically an axel with a wheel on either send andtwo “wheel mounts” in between the wheels and the axel. These wheelmounts have a long end, called a “mount tongue”, and a hook-shaped endcalled a “hook”. As a general overview of the invention, the mounttongue of the wheel mount at one end slides into the case's wheel endfoot sleeve and the hook of the wheel mount snaps around the existingwheel system on the case. The complete assembly is held in place byresistance created by the hook wrapping around more than 50% of thewheel and at the hook's end being slightly smaller diameter than thewheels of the case. This allows a user to quickly and effectively addwheels to a case, such that when the user wants to wheel the case,he/she can easily attach the wheels, but when the case is going to bestored or shipped, the wheels and axel can be easily removed.

Problem solved by this invention. As the drone industry evolves, droneshave been getting larger, more sophisticated, and heavier. Five yearsago, the skies were ruled by DJI's Phantom 2 line of drones, which werearound a cubic foot in size and weighed around three pounds. Since then,drones have begun carrying better (and heavier) cameras and otherpayloads such as remote sensors, lidar, and even seed dispersers. Thesize of batteries and propellers also increased, to the point where manyof today's “commercial” drones are two to three times the size of thePhantom line.

And, while five years ago it was fairly easy to put a Phantom in abackpack and haul it around, putting one of today's larger, heavierdrones with extra batteries into a backpack is way too large, cumbersomeand heavy to safely or comfortably carry on one's back. Thus, wheeledcases made their way into the drone world several years ago. Becausethese cases were wheeled, a user could more easily transport a dronecase from job to job. However, like their counterparts in the suitcaseindustry, the protruding wheels were a weak point in these cases, andwould often break during shipping, thereby rendering the case basicallyuseless. Also, because of the small wheel size the wheels are relativelyuseless on rough ground, including gravel, sand, dirt, weeds, etc., andwould frequently clog with dirt, sand or grass to the point where theyno longer worked even on flat pavement.

To minimize the exposure of the wheels to breakage, drone casemanufactures use wheels that are typically 2″ to 3″ in diameter oninjection molded cases. These wheels work decently on hard, flatsurfaces such as solid pavement, flooring, sidewalks or streets, buttrying to roll the cases with heavy contents onto sand, gravel, dirtsurfaces is nearly impossible. The surfaces typically inject stones andother items into the wheel assembly housing which lock the wheels, sothey are no longer able to turn, causing the user to either drag thecase or be forced carry it. These wheels also do not function oversticks, logs or uneven surfaces. So, clearly it would be advantageous touse larger wheels, but these would be easily broken off during travel.Thus, while minimizing the chances that the current wheels will bebroken off when the case is shipped or stored, these manufacturers areaccepting a trade-off against having a case that can be effectivelymoved over rough terrain.

Thus, there has existed a long-felt need for a case that has wheels thatare large enough to travel over all sorts of terrain, but at the sametime, will not be easily broken off during shipping or storage. Thecurrent invention provides just such a product with a detachable wheelassembly that can be quickly and efficiently attached to and detachedfrom a protective case. Its wheels are large enough to move over allsorts of terrain, but they can be removed for shipping, storage andother uses during which a protruding wheel can be damaged.

The current invention provides just such a solution by providing a quicksnap on and off assembly. This assembly has no mechanical lockingsystem, strictly friction since the cases are used in extreme terrainand the user cannot afford to have springs, latches, etc. malfunction intime of need. Instead, the invention provides large (10″ or so) diametersolid wheels that do not go flat or jam up on rough surfaces. Theassembly attaches so that the case still sits flat on the ground as tostill be 100% usable when opening the case. Because the wheel assemblyeasily snaps on and off, a user flying drones can wheel the drone caseout of the airport on its “case wheels”, put into a rental car, drive toa remote location, snap on this invention, wheel the case over roughterrain to a desired drone take-off location and fly the drone withoutworrying about having to carry both the drone and the case back to thecar. After the drone photography/videography is done and the dronistreturns to the airport, he/she can just snap off the wheel assembly,store it separately, and wheel the case on its original wheels toairport check-in.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a means bywhich an owner of a case can transport the case both on themanufacturer's original wheels or the large, adapted wheels depending onthe terrain the case it to cross.

Another object of the invention is to provide a detachable wheelassembly that allows an owner of the invention to wheel a case from jobto job, and yet remove the wheels for shipping or storage.

Another object of the invention is to specifically supplement the smallwheels provided on 3i-Series SKB cases with 10″ wheels for rough terrainor sand surfaces by providing a wheel assembly that “lifts” the caseabove the ground with larger wheels that do not rub against any part ofthe case during transport.

Another object of the invention is to provide a detachable wheeled caseassembly where the wheeled assembly can snap on and snap off with nomechanical parts that could malfunction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wheeled assembly withnever-flat wheels for low maintenance and to prevent service disruption.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a wheeled assemblythat comes in three parts for compact storage.

A final object of the invention is to provide a wheel assembly thatsnaps over existing wheels in a wheeled case to provide larger, tougherwheels for use over rough terrain.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the invention in order that the detailed description thereofmay be better understood, and in order that the present contribution tothe art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of theinvention that will be described hereinafter and which will form thesubject matter of the claims appended hereto. The features listed hereinand other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention willbecome better understood with reference to the following description andappended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated inand constitute part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of theinvention and, together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention.

It should be understood that while the preferred embodiments of theinvention are described in some detail herein, the present disclosure ismade by way of example only and that variations and changes thereto arepossible without departing from the subject matter coming within thescope of the following claims, and a reasonable equivalency thereof,which claims I regard as my invention. For example, which a case tocarry a drone is used in this example, the technology described in thisapplication could apply to any case in any industry.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

One preferred form of the invention will now be described with referenceto the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an elevated, perspective view of a first case with the wheelassembly attached.

FIG. 2 is front view of a case with the wheel assembly attached.

FIG. 3 is a front, exploded view showing a case with the various partsof the wheel assembly in an unassembled form.

FIG. 4 is an elevated, perspective view showing a case with the variousparts of the wheel assembly in an unassembled form.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the wheel assembly fully assembled.

FIG. 6 is an exploded, front view of the wheel assembly in adis-assembled state.

FIG. 7 is an exploded, perspective view of the wheel assembly in adis-assembled state.

FIG. 8 is a front view of the wheel assembly fully assembled.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the wheel mount

FIG. 10 is a close-up view of the tongue mount portion of the wheelmount ready for insertion into the end foot sleeve, which is a cavity inthe wheeled case.

FIG. 11 is a close-up view of the wheel assembly being prepared forconnection to the case assembly.

FIG. 12 is an elevated, perspective view of a second case with the wheelassembly attached.

FIG. 13 is front view of a second case with the wheel assembly attached.

FIG. 14 is a front, exploded view showing a case with the various partsof the wheel assembly in an unassembled form.

FIG. 15 is an elevated, perspective view showing a case with the variousparts of the wheel assembly in an unassembled form.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the wheel assembly fully assembled.

FIG. 17 is an exploded, front view of the wheel assembly in adis-assembled state.

FIG. 18 is an exploded, perspective view of the wheel assembly in adis-assembled state.

FIG. 19 is a front view of the wheel assembly fully assembled.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the wheel mount

FIG. 21 is a close-up view of the tongue mount portion of the wheelmount ready for insertion into the end foot sleeve, which is a cavity inthe wheeled case.

FIG. 22 is a close-up view of the wheel assembly being prepared forconnection to the case assembly.

FIG. 23 is an elevated, perspective view of a third embodiment of a casewith the wheel assembly attached.

FIG. 24 is front view of a case with the wheel assembly attached.

FIG. 25 is a front, exploded view showing a case with the various partsof the wheel assembly in an unassembled form.

FIG. 26 is an elevated, perspective view showing a case with the variousparts of the wheel assembly in an unassembled form.

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the wheel assembly fully assembled.

FIG. 28 is an exploded, front view of the wheel assembly in adis-assembled state.

FIG. 29 is an exploded, perspective view of the wheel assembly in adis-assembled state.

FIG. 30 is a front view of the wheel assembly fully assembled.

FIG. 31 is a perspective view of the wheel mount

FIG. 32 is a close-up view of the tongue mount portion of the wheelmount ready for insertion into the end foot sleeve, which is a cavity inthe wheeled case.

FIG. 33 is a close-up view of the wheel assembly being prepared forconnection to the case assembly.

FIG. 34 is an elevated, perspective view of a fourth embodiment of acase with the wheel assembly attached.

FIG. 35 is front view of a case with the wheel assembly attached.

FIG. 36 is a front, exploded view showing a case with the various partsof the wheel assembly in an unassembled form.

FIG. 37 is an elevated, perspective view showing a case with the variousparts of the wheel assembly in an unassembled form.

FIG. 38 is a perspective view of the wheel assembly fully assembled.

FIG. 39 is an exploded, front view of the wheel assembly in adis-assembled state.

FIG. 40 is an exploded, perspective view of the wheel assembly in adis-assembled state.

FIG. 41 is a front view of the wheel assembly fully assembled.

FIG. 42 is a perspective view of the wheel mount

FIG. 43 is a close-up view of the tongue mount portion of the wheelmount ready for insertion into the end foot sleeve, which is a cavity inthe wheeled case.

FIG. 44 is a close-up view of the wheel assembly being prepared forconnection to the case assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with referencesmade to the drawings below. The components in the drawings are notnecessarily drawn to scale. Instead, emphasis is placed upon clearlyillustrating the components of the present invention. Moreover, likereference numerals designate corresponding parts through the severalviews in the drawings. Before explaining at least one embodiment of theinvention, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the inventionare not limited in their application to the details of construction andto the arrangement of the components set forth in the followingdescription or illustrated in the drawings. The embodiments of theinvention are capable of being practiced and carried out in variousways. In addition, the phraseology and terminology employed herein arefor the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

FIG. 1 is an elevated, perspective view of a case with the wheelassembly attached. The basic units here are a case assembly and a wheelassembly. The case here is for a drone or quadcopter, but this shouldnot be viewed as limiting the applicability of this technology to justdrones. The base assembly is comprised of a case base 3 and a case lid4. Inside the base 3 are usually some foam pieces cut out to cradle aspecific make and model of drone, along with some parts and accessoriessuch as its controller, propellers, extra batteries, memory card,chargers, filters, and the like. Over the top of the drone is the lid 4,which is attached to the base 3 by hinges 6. The case assembly has ahandle 5 by which a user can carry the unit, and one or more clasps orlatches 7 by which the user can secure the lid 4 to the base 3. The caseassembly 1 can be lifted and carried by the user, but this isinefficient and, where the drone is large and heavy, impossible. Itshould be noted that the wheel assembly in this figure completely blocksthe original case wheels.

The wheel assembly solves this problem. The wheel assembly has twowheels 15, one axel 16 and two wheel mounts 10. The basic function ofthe wheel assembly is to allow a user to quickly and efficiently slidethe axel through the wheel mount, attach the two wheels with a ⅝″ boldshaft threaded (2.25″ custom thread length) to the wheel mount, thewheel is secured into place on the axel by a bolt shaft with a ⅝″ pushnut. To attach the wheel assembly to the case, the user in this figurehas snapped the hook portion of the wheel mount over the existing wheelsof the wheeled case.

Because the wheel assembly has no need for screws or bolts to attach itto the bottom of the base 3, a user can quickly attach (and detach) thewheel assembly from the case. Take, for example, a professional droneflyer who is using an existing, wheeled case. Should the user of theinvention be trying to transport the case across an agricultural fieldto fly a survey over a nearby field, he/she need merely snap in thewheel assembly and then let the wheels carry the load across the field.But, say the dronist's next job was in a foreign country, he/she needonly snap out the wheel assembly and the case is ready to transportwithout the worry that any protruding wheels will be damaged duringtransport.

FIG. 2 is front view a case with the wheel assembly attached. Note hook11 has been snapped over the existing wheels (not visible in thisfigure) of the case. The case latch 7 has secured the case lid to thecase base. A spacer 18 separates the wheel 15 from the edge of the case.

FIG. 3 is a front, exploded view showing a case with the various partsof the wheel assembly in an unassembled form. Because the wheels 15, thewheel mounts 10 and the axel 16 have no moving parts, they can be easilyassembled and taken apart depending on whether the user of the inventionneeds to roll the case or transport it via air or vehicle. This figurealso illustrates that while the existing wheels 9 on the case aresuitable for transporting the case over flat surfaces, they are way toosmall to effectively transport the case over rough terrain. The wheels15 of the wheel assembly, however, are much larger and thereby much moreeffective when hauling the case over sand, dirt, grass or other roughand irregular surfaces. Spacers 18 are put between the wheel 15 and thewheel mount 10 to keep the wheel 15 from rubbing against the sides ofthe case.

FIG. 4 is an elevated, perspective view showing a case with the variousparts of the wheel assembly in an unassembled form. The case assemblyhas a front section upon which the wheel assembly is removably mounted.The wheel mount 10 has the hook 11 portion of the wheel mount 10 snapsthat around the existing wheels 9 of the case. The axel goes throughboth bearing hubs 19, both wheel mounts 10, and then both wheels 8,where it is secured on both ends by a bolt 19.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the wheel assembly fully assembled. Thethreaded bolts 17 have attached the wheels 15 to the axel 16. Thisfigure also illustrated the wheel mount 10 and hook 11 of the wheelassembly. You can see how the hook 11 is just snapped over the existingwheels of the case.

FIG. 6 is an exploded, front view of the wheel assembly in adis-assembled state. A bolt 17 attached the wheels 15 to the axel 16. Aspacer 18 keeps the wheel 15 from rubbing on the side of the case. Thewheel mounts 10 are secured between the spacer 18 and the axel 16.

FIG. 7 is an exploded, perspective view of the wheel assembly in adis-assembled state. A bolt 17 attached the wheels 15 to the axel 16. Aspacer 18 keeps the wheel 15 from rubbing on the side of the case. Thewheel mounts 10 are secured between the spacer 18 and the axel 16.

FIG. 8 is a front view of the wheel assembly fully assembled. A bolt 17attached the wheels 15 to the axel 16. A spacer 18 keeps the wheel 15from rubbing on the side of the case. The wheel mounts 10 are securedbetween the spacer 18 and the axel 16.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the wheel mount 10. Axel hole 12 is thehole through which the axel is inserted. Mount arm 13 is inserted into amating cavity in the case. Case support 14 provides additional supportfor the wheel mount 10 against the case. The hook 11 snaps over existingwheels in the case.

FIG. 10 is a close-up view of the wheel mount, generally referenced as10, as it appears after it the hook 11 been snapped the existing wheelsof a case.

FIG. 11 is a close-up view of the wheel assembly being prepared forconnection to the case assembly. The hook 11 is ready to snap overexisting wheels 9, the wheel mount arm 13 is ready to slide into thecase sleeve 8.

FIG. 12 is an elevated, perspective view of a case with the wheelassembly attached. The basic units here are a case assembly and a wheelassembly. The case here is for a drone or quadcopter, but this shouldnot be viewed as limiting the applicability of this technology to justdrones. The base assembly is comprised of a case base 3 and a case lid4. Inside the base 3 are usually some foam pieces cut out to cradle aspecific make and model of drone, along with some parts and accessoriessuch as its controller, propellers, extra batteries, memory card,chargers, filters, and the like. Over the top of the drone is the lid 4,which is attached to the base 3 by hinges 6. The case assembly has ahandle 5 by which a user can carry the unit, and one or more clasps orlatches 7 by which the user can secure the lid 4 to the base 3. The caseassembly 1 can be lifted and carried by the user, but this isinefficient and, where the drone is large and heavy, impossible. Itshould be noted that the wheel assembly in this figure completely blocksthe original case wheels.

The wheel assembly solves this problem. The wheel assembly has twowheels 15, one axel 16 and two wheel mounts 10. The basic function ofthe wheel assembly is to allow a user to quickly and efficiently slidethe axel through the wheel mount, attach the two wheels with a ⅝″ boldshaft threaded (2.25″ custom thread length) to the wheel mount, thewheel is secured into place on the axel by a bolt shaft with a ⅝″ pushnut. To attach the wheel assembly to the case, the user in this figurehas snapped the hook portion of the wheel mount over the existing wheelsof the wheeled case.

Because the wheel assembly has no need for screws or bolts to attach itto the bottom of the base 3, a user can quickly attach (and detach) thewheel assembly from the case. Take, for example, a professional droneflyer who is using an existing, wheeled case. Should the user of theinvention be trying to transport the case across an agricultural fieldto fly a survey over a nearby field, he/she need merely snap in thewheel assembly and then let the wheels carry the load across the field.But, say the dronist's next job was in a foreign country, he/she needonly snap out the wheel assembly and the case is ready to transportwithout the worry that any protruding wheels will be damaged duringtransport.

FIG. 13 is front view a case with the wheel assembly attached. Note hook11 has been snapped over the existing wheels (not visible in thisfigure) of the case. The case latch 7 has secured the case lid to thecase base. A spacer 18 separates the wheel 15 from the edge of the case.

FIG. 14 is a front, exploded view showing a case with the various partsof the wheel assembly in an unassembled form. Because the wheels 15, thewheel mounts 10 and the axel 16 have no moving parts, they can be easilyassembled and taken apart depending on whether the user of the inventionneeds to roll the case or transport it via air or vehicle. This figurealso illustrates that while the existing wheels 9 on the case aresuitable for transporting the case over flat surfaces, they are way toosmall to effectively transport the case over rough terrain. The wheels15 of the wheel assembly, however, are much larger and thereby much moreeffective when hauling the case over sand, dirt, grass or other roughand irregular surfaces. Spacers 18 are put between the wheel 15 and thewheel mount 10 to keep the wheel 15 from rubbing against the sides ofthe case.

FIG. 15 is an elevated, perspective view showing a case with the variousparts of the wheel assembly in an unassembled form. The case assemblyhas a front section upon which the wheel assembly is removably mounted.The wheel mount 10 has the hook 11 portion of the wheel mount 10 snapsthat around the existing wheels 9 of the case. The axel goes throughboth wheel mounts 10, and then both wheels 8, where it is secured onboth ends by a bolt 19.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the wheel assembly fully assembled. Thethreaded bolts 17 have attached the wheels 15 to the axel 16. Thisfigure also illustrated the wheel mount 10 and hook 11 of the wheelassembly. You can see how the hook 11 is just snapped over the existingwheels of the case. Mount arms 13 are forked in this embodiment to fiton either side of a case sleeve with a middle member.

FIG. 17 is an exploded, front view of the wheel assembly in adis-assembled state. A bolt 17 attached the wheels 15 to the axel 16. Aspacer 18 keeps the wheel 15 from rubbing on the side of the case. Thewheel mounts 10 are secured between the spacer 18 and the axel 16.

FIG. 18 is an exploded, perspective view of the wheel assembly in adis-assembled state. A bolt 17 attached the wheels 15 to the axel 16. Aspacer 18 keeps the wheel 15 from rubbing on the side of the case. Thewheel mounts 10 are secured between the spacer 18 and the axel 16.

FIG. 19 is a front view of the wheel assembly fully assembled. A bolt 17attached the wheels 15 to the axel 16. A spacer 18 keeps the wheel 15from rubbing on the side of the case. The wheel mounts 10 are securedbetween the spacer 18 and the axel 16.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the wheel mount 10. Axel hole 12 is thehole through which the axel is inserted. Mount arm 13 is inserted into amating cavity in the case. In this embodiment, the mount arm 13 isforked. Case support 14 provides additional support for the wheel mount10 against the case. The hook 11 snaps over existing wheels in the case.

FIG. 21 is a close-up view of the wheel mount, generally referenced as10, as it appears after it the hook 11 been snapped the existing wheelsof a case.

FIG. 22 is a close-up view of the wheel assembly being prepared forconnection to the case assembly. The hook 11 is ready to snap overexisting wheels 9, the wheel mount arm 13 is ready to slide into thecase sleeve 8.

FIG. 23 is an elevated, perspective view of a case with the wheelassembly attached. The basic units here are a case assembly and a wheelassembly. The case here is for a drone or quadcopter, but this shouldnot be viewed as limiting the applicability of this technology to justdrones. The base assembly is comprised of a case base 3 and a case lid4. Inside the base 3 are usually some foam pieces cut out to cradle aspecific make and model of drone, along with some parts and accessoriessuch as its controller, propellers, extra batteries, memory card,chargers, filters, and the like. Over the top of the drone is the lid 4,which is attached to the base 3 by hinges 6. The case assembly has ahandle 5 by which a user can carry the unit, and one or more clasps orlatches 7 by which the user can secure the lid 4 to the base 3. The caseassembly 1 can be lifted and carried by the user, but this isinefficient and, where the drone is large and heavy, impossible. Itshould be noted that the wheel assembly in this figure completely blocksthe original case wheels.

The wheel assembly solves this problem. The wheel assembly has twowheels 15, one axel 16 and two wheel mounts 10. The basic function ofthe wheel assembly is to allow a user to quickly and efficiently slidethe axel through the wheel mount, attach the two wheels with a ⅝″ boldshaft threaded (2.25″ custom thread length) to the wheel mount, thewheel is secured into place on the axel by a bolt shaft with a ⅝″ pushnut. To attach the wheel assembly to the case, the user in this figurehas snapped the hook portion of the wheel mount over the existing wheelsof the wheeled case.

Because the wheel assembly has no need for screws or bolts to attach itto the bottom of the base 3, a user can quickly attach (and detach) thewheel assembly from the case. Take, for example, a professional droneflyer who is using an existing, wheeled case. Should the user of theinvention be trying to transport the case across an agricultural fieldto fly a survey over a nearby field, he/she need merely snap in thewheel assembly and then let the wheels carry the load across the field.But, say the dronist's next job was in a foreign country, he/she needonly snap out the wheel assembly and the case is ready to transportwithout the worry that any protruding wheels will be damaged duringtransport.

FIG. 24 is front view a case with the wheel assembly attached. Note hook11 has been snapped over the existing wheels (not visible in thisfigure) of the case. The case latch 7 has secured the case lid to thecase base. A spacer 18 separates the wheel 15 from the edge of the case.

FIG. 25 is a front, exploded view showing a case with the various partsof the wheel assembly in an unassembled form. Because the wheels 15, thewheel mounts 10 and the axel 16 have no moving parts, they can be easilyassembled and taken apart depending on whether the user of the inventionneeds to roll the case or transport it via air or vehicle. This figurealso illustrates that while the existing wheels 9 on the case aresuitable for transporting the case over flat surfaces, they are way toosmall to effectively transport the case over rough terrain. The wheels15 of the wheel assembly, however, are much larger and thereby much moreeffective when hauling the case over sand, dirt, grass or other roughand irregular surfaces. Spacers 18 are put between the wheel 15 and thewheel mount 10 to keep the wheel 15 from rubbing against the sides ofthe case.

FIG. 26 is an elevated, perspective view showing a case with the variousparts of the wheel assembly in an unassembled form. The case assemblyhas a front section upon which the wheel assembly is removably mounted.The wheel mount 10 has the hook 11 portion of the wheel mount 10 snapsthat around the existing wheels 9 of the case. The axel goes throughboth wheel mounts 10, and then both wheels 8, where it is secured onboth ends by a bolt 19.

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the wheel assembly fully assembled. Thethreaded bolts 17 have attached the wheels 15 to the axel 16. Thisfigure also illustrated the wheel mount 10 and hook 11 of the wheelassembly. You can see how the hook 11 is just snapped over the existingwheels of the case.

FIG. 28 is an exploded, front view of the wheel assembly in adis-assembled state. A bolt 17 attached the wheels 15 to the axel 16. Aspacer 18 keeps the wheel 15 from rubbing on the side of the case. Thewheel mounts 10 are secured between the spacer 18 and the axel 16.

FIG. 29 is an exploded, perspective view of the wheel assembly in adis-assembled state. A bolt 17 attached the wheels 15 to the axel 16. Aspacer 18 keeps the wheel 15 from rubbing on the side of the case. Thewheel mounts 10 are secured between the spacer 18 and the axel 16.

FIG. 30 is a front view of the wheel assembly fully assembled. A bolt 17attached the wheels 15 to the axel 16. A spacer 18 keeps the wheel 15from rubbing on the side of the case. The wheel mounts 10 are securedbetween the spacer 18 and the axel 16.

FIG. 31 is a perspective view of the wheel mount 10. Axel hole 12 is thehole through which the axel is inserted. Case support 14 providesadditional support for the wheel mount 10 against the case. The hook 11snaps over existing wheels in the case. There is a mount case arm 13 inthis embodiment on the end of the hook 11, as opposed to being part ofthe case support 14.

FIG. 32 is a close-up view of the wheel mount, generally referenced as10, as it appears after it the hook 11 been snapped the existing wheelsof a case.

FIG. 33 is a close-up view of the wheel assembly being prepared forconnection to the case assembly. The hook 11 is ready to snap overexisting wheels 9, the wheel mount arm 13 is ready to slide into thecase sleeve, which in this embodiment lies under the wheel 9.

FIG. 34 is an elevated, perspective view of a case with the wheelassembly attached. The basic units here are a case assembly and a wheelassembly. The case here is for a drone or quadcopter, but this shouldnot be viewed as limiting the applicability of this technology to justdrones. The base assembly is comprised of a case base 3 and a case lid4. Inside the base 3 are usually some foam pieces cut out to cradle aspecific make and model of drone, along with some parts and accessoriessuch as its controller, propellers, extra batteries, memory card,chargers, filters, and the like. Over the top of the drone is the lid 4,which is attached to the base 3 by hinges 6. The case assembly has ahandle 5 by which a user can carry the unit, and one or more clasps orlatches 7 by which the user can secure the lid 4 to the base 3. The caseassembly 1 can be lifted and carried by the user, but this isinefficient and, where the drone is large and heavy, impossible. Itshould be noted that the wheel assembly in this figure completely blocksthe original case wheels.

The wheel assembly solves this problem. The wheel assembly has twowheels 15, one axel 16 and two wheel mounts 10. The basic function ofthe wheel assembly is to allow a user to quickly and efficiently slidethe axel through the wheel mount, attach the two wheels with a ⅝″ boldshaft threaded (2.25″ custom thread length) to the wheel mount, thewheel is secured into place on the axel by a bolt shaft with a ⅝″ pushnut. To attach the wheel assembly to the case, the user in this figurehas snapped the hook portion of the wheel mount over the existing wheelsof the wheeled case.

Because the wheel assembly has no need for screws or bolts to attach itto the bottom of the base 3, a user can quickly attach (and detach) thewheel assembly from the case. Take, for example, a professional droneflyer who is using an existing, wheeled case. Should the user of theinvention be trying to transport the case across an agricultural fieldto fly a survey over a nearby field, he/she need merely snap in thewheel assembly and then let the wheels carry the load across the field.But, say the dronist's next job was in a foreign country, he/she needonly snap out the wheel assembly and the case is ready to transportwithout the worry that any protruding wheels will be damaged duringtransport.

FIG. 35 is front view a case with the wheel assembly attached. Note hook11 has been snapped over the existing wheels (not visible in thisfigure) of the case. The case latch 7 has secured the case lid to thecase base. A spacer 18 separates the wheel 15 from the edge of the case.

FIG. 36 is a front, exploded view showing a case with the various partsof the wheel assembly in an unassembled form. Because the wheels 15, thewheel mounts 10 and the axel 16 have no moving parts, they can be easilyassembled and taken apart depending on whether the user of the inventionneeds to roll the case or transport it via air or vehicle. This figurealso illustrates that while the existing wheels 9 on the case aresuitable for transporting the case over flat surfaces, they are way toosmall to effectively transport the case over rough terrain. The wheels15 of the wheel assembly, however, are much larger and thereby much moreeffective when hauling the case over sand, dirt, grass or other roughand irregular surfaces. Spacers 18 are put between the wheel 15 and thewheel mount 10 to keep the wheel 15 from rubbing against the sides ofthe case.

FIG. 37 is an elevated, perspective view showing a case with the variousparts of the wheel assembly in an unassembled form. The case assemblyhas a front section upon which the wheel assembly is removably mounted.The wheel mount 10 has the hook 11 portion of the wheel mount 10 snapsthat around the existing wheels 9 of the case. The axel goes throughboth wheel mounts 10, and then both wheels 8, where it is secured onboth ends by a bolt 19.

FIG. 38 is a perspective view of the wheel assembly fully assembled. Thethreaded bolts 17 have attached the wheels 15 to the axel 16. Thisfigure also illustrated the wheel mount 10 and hook 11 of the wheelassembly. You can see how the hook 11 is just snapped over the existingwheels of the case.

FIG. 39 is an exploded, front view of the wheel assembly in adis-assembled state. A bolt 17 attached the wheels 15 to the axel 16. Aspacer 18 keeps the wheel 15 from rubbing on the side of the case. Thewheel mounts 10 are secured between the spacer 18 and the axel 16.

FIG. 41 is an exploded, perspective view of the wheel assembly in adis-assembled state. A bolt 17 attached the wheels 15 to the axel 16. Aspacer 18 keeps the wheel 15 from rubbing on the side of the case. Thewheel mounts 10 are secured between the spacer 18 and the axel 16.

FIG. 41 is a front view of the wheel assembly fully assembled. A bolt 17attached the wheels 15 to the axel 16. A spacer 18 keeps the wheel 15from rubbing on the side of the case. The wheel mounts 10 are securedbetween the spacer 18 and the axel 16.

FIG. 42 is a perspective view of the wheel mount 10. Axel hole 12 is thehole through which the axel is inserted. Mount arm 13 is inserted into amating cavity in the case. Case support 14 provides additional supportfor the wheel mount 10 against the case. The hook 11 snaps over existingwheels in the case. In this embodiment, mount arm 13 is screwed intowheel mount 10.

FIG. 43 is a close-up view of the wheel mount, generally referenced as10, as it appears after it the hook 11 been snapped the existing wheelsof a case.

FIG. 44 is a close-up view of the wheel assembly being prepared forconnection to the case assembly. The hook 11 is ready to snap overexisting wheels 9, the wheel mount arm 13 is ready to slide into thecase sleeve 8.

It should be understood that while the preferred embodiments of theinvention are described in some detail herein, the present disclosure ismade by way of example only and that variations and changes thereto arepossible without departing from the subject matter coming within thescope of the following claims, and a reasonable equivalency thereof,which claims I regard as my invention.

All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyrightprotection under the copyright laws of the United States and othercountries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimilereproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure,as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all othercopyright rights whatsoever are reserved.

REFERENCE NUMBERS USED

-   1. Detachable Wheel Assembly-   2. Case Assembly-   3. Case Base-   4. Case Lid-   5. Case Handle-   6. Case Hinge-   7. Case Latch-   8. Case Sleeve-   9. SKB 3I—2″ Case Wheel-   10. Wheel Mount-   11. Wheel Mount Hook-   12. Wheel Mount Axel Hole-   13. Wheel Mount Arm-   14. Wheel Mount Case Support-   15. All Terrain Wheel-   16. Axel-   17. Bolt-   18. Spacer with Shoulder-   19. Bearing Hub

That which is claimed:
 1. A wheel assembly, comprising: an axel, twowheels, and two wheel mounts, where the two wheel mounts are configuredsuch that they mate with a case assembly and the two wheels can rotatefreely without contacting the case assembly, where the axel has two openends, where each of the two open ends has a threaded interior, whereeach wheel has a wheel axel hole with a wheel axel hole diameter,additionally comprising two threaded bolts, where each of the twothreaded bolts has a bolt head and a threaded bolt end, where thethreaded bolt head has a threaded bolt head diameter, and the threadedbolt head diameter is greater than the wheel axel hole diameter, wherethe threaded bolt end mates with the threaded interior of the axel,thereby securing the two wheel mounts and the two wheels to the axel,and additionally comprising two bearing hubs, where each of the twobearing hubs separates a wheel from a wheel mount.
 2. The wheel assemblyof claim 1 where each wheel mount comprises a hook, a mount tongue andan axel hole, where the axel can pass through the axel hole, the hooksnaps over two or more case wheels of a case, and the mount tongue canbe inserted into an end foot sleeve in the case, where each of the twowheel mounts comprises a hook, a finger slot, by which a user of theinvention can pull and push the wheel mount to snap it in or remove it,a wheel mount axel hole, a mount tongue, such that the two bolts canattach the two wheels and the two wheel mounts to the axel, creating thewheel assembly, where each of the two bolts is inserted through thewheel axel hole, then a push net, then the wheel mount axel hole, andthen the threaded bolt end is screwed into a threaded interior of theaxel, thereby securing the two wheels and the two wheel mounts to theaxel.
 3. The wheel assembly of claim 2, where the two wheel mounts onthe wheel assembly are configured such that they mate with the caseassembly, with the mount tongue of the wheel mount is inserted into anend foot sleeve on the case assembly, where the hook removably snapsover at least one of the two or more existing wheels, where the wheelassembly can be removably attached and detached to and from the caseassembly such that a user of the invention can easily “snap in” thewheel assembly into the case assembly when the user is transporting thecase over a rough terrain, and then easily “snap it out” to remove itwhen the user is transporting the case.
 4. The wheel assembly of claim3, where the hook of the wheel mount removably attaches to two or moreexisting wheels of a case, and the mount tongue is inserted into an endfoot sleeve of the case, and the two or more case wheels of the caseeach has a case wheel diameter, and where the hook diameter is slightlysmaller than the case wheel diameter, such that when the hook is snappedover the two or more case wheels, the wheel mount is removably securedover the two or more case wheels.
 5. The wheel mount assembly of claim4, where the wheel mount comprises an attachable mount arm, where theattachable mount arm is attached to the wheel mount through one or morescrews.
 6. The wheel mount assembly of claim 5, where the attachablemount arm has two fork portions separated by a cavity.
 7. The wheelmount assembly of claim 6, where the attachable mount arm is less than2″ in length.
 8. The wheel mount assembly of claim 7, where theattachable mount arm is less than 4″ in length.
 9. The wheel mount ofclaim 4, where the wheel mount has a terminal mount arm located on aterminal end of the mount arm.
 10. The wheel mount of claim 9, where theterminal mount arm mates with a corresponding case cavity in the case,where the corresponding case cavity is located under one of the two ormore existing wheels.
 11. A case for transportation, comprising: a caseassembly and a wheel assembly, where the case assembly comprises ahandle, a base, a lid, two or more case wheels, and two end footsleeves, additionally comprising means of attachment between the baseand the lid, means of removably securing the lid to the base, where themeans of removably securing the lid to the base is a case latch, andmeans of attachment between the wheel assembly and the case assembly istwo wheel mounts, where the wheel assembly comprises an axel, where theaxel has two open ends, where each of the two open ends has a threadedinterior, two wheels, where each wheel has a wheel axel hole with awheel axel hole diameter, two threaded bolts, where each threaded bolthas a bolt head and a threaded bolt end, where the threaded bolt headhas a threaded bolt head diameter, and the threaded bolt head diameteris greater than the wheel axel hole diameter, where the threaded boltend mates with the threaded interior of the axel, and two wheel mounts,and where the wheel assembly can be removably attached and detached toand from the case assembly such that a user of the invention can easily“snap in” the wheel assembly into the case assembly, and then easily“snap it out” to remove it.
 12. The case of claim 11, where the wheelassembly comprises an axel, two wheels, and two wheel mounts, where thetwo wheel mounts are configured such that they mate with a case assemblyand the two wheels can rotate freely without contacting the caseassembly, where the axel has two open ends, where each of the two openends has a threaded interior, where each wheel has a wheel axel holewith a wheel axel hole diameter, additionally comprising two threadedbolts, where each of the two threaded bolts has a bolt head and athreaded bolt end, where the threaded bolt head has a threaded bolt headdiameter, and the threaded bolt head diameter is greater than the wheelaxel hole diameter, where the threaded bolt end mates with the threadedinterior of the axel, and two wheel mounts, where each wheel mount isseparated from a wheel by a bearing hub.
 13. The case of claim 12 whereeach wheel mount comprises a hook, a mount tongue and an axel hole,where the axel can pass through the axel holes, and the mount tongue canbe inserted into an end foot sleeve in the case, where each of the twowheel mounts comprises a hook, a wheel mount axel hole, a mount tongue,and then the threaded bolt end is screwed into a threaded interior ofthe axel, thereby securing the two wheels and the two wheel mounts tothe axel.
 14. The case of claim 13, where the two wheel mounts on thewheel assembly are configured such that they removably mate with thecase assembly, with the mount tongue of the wheel mount being insertedinto an end foot sleeve on the case assembly, where the hook removablysnaps over at least one of the two or more existing wheels, where thewheel assembly can be removably attached and detached to and from thecase assembly such that a user of the invention can easily “snap in” thewheel assembly into the case assembly when the user is transporting thecase over a rough terrain, and then easily “snap it out” to remove itwhen the user is transporting the case.
 15. The case of claim 14, wherethe hook of the wheel mount has a hook diameter, and the two or morecase wheels of the case each has a case wheel diameter, and where thehook diameter is slightly smaller than the case wheel diameter, suchthat when the hook is snapped over the two or more case wheels, thewheel mount is removably secured over the two or more case wheels. 16.The wheel mount assembly of claim 15, where the wheel mount comprises anattachable mount arm, where the attachable mount arm is attached to thewheel mount through one or more screws.
 17. The wheel mount assembly ofclaim 16, where the attachable mount arm has two fork portions separatedby a cavity.
 18. The wheel mount assembly of claim 17, where theattachable mount arm is less than 2″ in length.
 19. The wheel mount ofclaim 15, where the wheel mount has a terminal mount arm located on aterminal end of the mount arm.
 20. The wheel mount of claim 19, wherethe terminal mount arm mates with a corresponding case cavity in thecase, where the corresponding case cavity is located under one of thetwo or more existing wheels.